Door-operating mechanism



Oct. 11,1927. 7 v 1,645,168,

A, E. THOMAS DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March- 29, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y.

A. E. THOMAS DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 29, 1924" s Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIEEEP'II A TTORNE Y.

Oct. 11, 1927. I 1,645,168

. A. E. THOMAS DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 29, 1924 .5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. #nwr-Z 73072245 ATTORNEK.

l etented Get. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR n. THOMAS, or WAYNE, rrror'iroa vl DOOR-OPERATIN G MECHANISM..-

Application filed March 29, 1924. Serial No. 702,752

My improvement relates to improvements in folding doors and operating mechanism therefor.

An object is to provide simple, eflicient, positive, operating mechanism for folding doors. I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a pair of folding doors suitable for use in a garage and have shown an improved depressible floor control for the operating mechanism.

An important feature is the provision of operating mechanism to swing the doors, which mechanism has a connection with one of the doors, which connection serves as a support for door guides slidably mounted thereon.

Another meritorious feature is the provision'in connection with looking de ices to secure the doors and operating mechanism to swing the doors, of a control therefor, here shown in the fo-m of a depressible floor, which control during its initial period of movement actuates the locking mechanism to release the doors for swinging movement and during its continued movement actuates the operating mechanism to swing the doors.

A valuable feature is the employment of sleeve or ring guides universally swiveled to the swinging sections of the folding doors, which guides are slidably mounted upon the guide rod above the doors and permit full freedom of swinging movement of such folding sections of the doors. 9

Other objects and advantages of my improved construction will more fully appear from tne following description of the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

I prefer to illustrate my invention in combination with a pair of folding doors suit able for use in a garage and having a depressible floor control for the operating mechanism.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of doors provided with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of a pair of doors provided with my invention in a modi- "fiedform. x v

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary elevation of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. (3 is a fragmentary perspective of a part of the bar ol and the latch member 49.

Let 10 indicate the floor of a garage and 11 the side wall having a door opening in the frame of which a pair of folding doors are hinged. Thefolding doors are-indicated at 12 and 13'respectively. Each door is hinged at l ito opposite sides of the door frame for swinging movement. Each door has an outer hinged section 15 mounted to fold toward its mate in-the swinging movement of the door. This outer section 15 carries a swivel 16 PIV OtZIl lY supported by a bearing member. 17 which is mounted in a socket 18 of a bracket 19 carried by the door. This allows the sleeve or rmg guide 16 to have unlimited universal movement relative the door. This guide is slidably "supported upon a guide rod hereinafter described "so that in the swinging movement of the folding doors the outer section 15 folds toward its mate and its travel is free and unimpeded even though the door may not swing or hang-exactly true.

I provide overhead operating mechanism to swmg the doors, which includes a bracket support 12 'secured to the wall of the garage. Th s support has a bearing'2O upon whlch 1s plvotally mounted a crank 21 which crank has an arm 22 which is held downwardly by a spring 23, here shown as secured to the wall by a bracket 24 and a tightening nut and bolt 25, whereby the tension on the spring may be regulated to sult the door to be closed. The crank 21 is provided atone end with side flanges 26.

There is pivotally mounted upon the bearing 20 an arm 27. The lower .end of this arm is connected by a link 28 with a bracket 29 carried by the door 12. This link is shown as having a ball and socket connection 30 with the bracket and a similar con nection 31 with a pin 32 mounted in a slot 33 in the lower end of the arm. 27

To operate the other folding door I provide a rod 34: extending from the upper end of the arm above the doors.v This rod is slidably supported by bearings 35 which are swiveled into brackets 38 carried by the means of a connection 42 to therod.

7 end of the rod adjacent the operating mechanism is connected by a link 43 with the arm 27. One end of this link is pivoted to the rod and the other end is pivoted to the hearing 44 carried by the arm 27. This permits the rod to be moved freely through its supporting bearings upon swinging movement of the arm 27. It will be seen that whenthe arm 27 is swung to the position indicated in Fig. 2, the doors 1 2 and 15 will be with drawn by the connecting link 28 and the doors 13 and 15 will be withdrawn by the operation of the rod 34 having connection with the door'13.

The crank 21 has a short arm slotted as at 46 to receive the bearing 47 which forms part of an operating link 48. .VVhen this link 48 is pulledfidownwardly thecrank is rotated in a counterclockwise direction against the tension of the spring 23'and the lug26 picks up the arm 27 and swings the doors.

I provide locking devices in the form of latch members 49 which may operate by their own Weight to lock the doors. As shown in Fig. 1, these latch members have cams 50 which are engaged by "cam surfaces 5O on a bar 51 and lifted as thebar is "endwis'e to elevate the latch members 49 and release the doors for swinging movement. It will be seen that .the crank 21 when -actu ated by the link 48 has a limitedmovement before it picks up the arm 27 to swing the same. Duringthis initial period of move- 'ment-the lockingdevices 49 are actuated to release the doors for swinging movement.

Lug 26on the crank 2l-.picks up the arm 27 and causes it to swing with the crank during the continued movement of the crank and this arm 27, asheretofore described, swings the folding doors.

In al'g'arage I prefer to'eii'iploy a depressibl'e floor portion to operate the doors. I have shown ap'a'i'r of floor sections 55 and r 56 which may preferably be formed of separate floor plates 57 mounted upon the stringers 55 and 56. A bail lever 58'is mounted at one end upon a pivot 59 and the opposite end is supported by a spring 60. The free end of this platform has an arm 61 to which is connected the link 48. The

"downward movement of the platform actuates the link to operate the doors as above set forth. 7

I have shown in Fig. 1 a spring 23 which if sufliciently strong would hold the platform in the upraised position, but I prefer also to provide a spring 60. This platform has a bearing 62 which supports opposite ends of apair of the string These stops may be of any conventional construction. I have here shown them as consisting of a fixed portion 65 which is corrugatedon one side to correspond with a movable corrugated portion 66 which car ries a nut and bolt fastening arrangement 67. The bolt extends through a slot 68 in the fixed portion so as to permit of vertical ad ustment and limit the downward move- ,ment of the depressible floor members at the point desired.

Two of the stops, are shown disposed intermediate the ends of the two depressible floor portions. A fixed stop [69' is also shown to limit the downward 'movement of the bail lever 58.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of construction in which instead of providing depressibl-e floor portions to operate the doors I employ a pedal mechanism 70 which is pivoted through the wall of the garage at 71 and on one side is engaged with the'link 48. Thismember has a pedal portion 72on each side of the wall of the garage. Downward .movement of the pedal will operate the overhead door mechanism as heretofore set forth.

I have Shown in Fig. 5 a simplified, ineX- I pensive form of construction in which the mechanical operating mechanlsin isomitted.

The string- 7 IOU The folding doors are operated independent-ly by hand, the inner swinging sections being provided with swiveledsleeve members 16, as described with reference to the construction shown in Fig. 1. v These swinging members are pivotally supported by a bearing member 17 which is mounted in a socket 18 in a bracket 19 secured to the door and the sleeve 16 travels on a stationary guide rod'19 which is secured to the wall of the garage overhead the doors.

l/Vhat I claim is: y

1. In door operating mechanism, a door frame, apair of folding doors, one hinged to each side of the frame, each door comprising an inner section hinged to the-frame and an outer section hinged to swingtoward its mate, operating mechanism to swing said doors provided with a rod having a connection with one section of each of the doors to swing th-e'door, and a guide member carried by the other section of each door slidably mount-ed upon said rod to travel thereover during the swinging of the doors.

2. In door operating mechanism, a door comprising two sections hinged together and hinged to a door frame to fold toward the frame, operating mechanism comprising a rodextending parallel with the door at one end thereof connected with one section to swing the door upon longitudinal movement of the rod, said other section'provided with a guide s'lidably mounted upon said rod to travel thereover as the door is swung.

, In door operating mechanism, a door comprising two sections hinged together and hinged to a support to fold toward the'support, a rod extending parallel with the door at one end thereof, means connecting the rod with one section of the door to swing the door upon longitudinal movement of the rod, said other section of the door provided with a guide pivotally mounted thereon and slidably mounted upon said rod to travel thereover in the swinging o the door.-

a. In door operating mechanism, a pair of folding doors, each having a swinging section adapted to fold toward its mate, operating mechanism having connection with one of the doors to swing the same, arod extending above said doors having connection with the other door to swing said door with the swinging of the first door, a guide pivoted to the swinging section of each door slidably mounted upon said rod, a depressible floor member connected with said operating mechanism to actuate the same to swing the doors.

5. In door construction, a pair of folding door-s, each door comprising an inner section hinged to a door frame and an outer section hinged to the inner section to fold toward it, operating mechanism comprising a longitudinally movable rod extending above the doors and connected with the inner section of each door to swing the doors, the outer section of each door provided with a pivotally supported guide slidably mounted upon said rod to travel thereover as the doors are swung.

6. In door operating mechanism, a pair' of folding doors, each door having .an outer section hinged to fold toward its mate, operating mechanism having connection with one of said doors to swing the same having a rod extending above the doors having connection with the other door to swing said other door, and a sleeve swiveled to the outer section of each door slidably mounted upon said rod, a pair of depressible floor members hinged underneath said doors, roller supports for the free ends of said floor members, and a connection between the floor members and the operating mechanism to actuate the same toswing the doors.

7. In door operating mechanism, a pair of folding doors, each having a swinging section adapted to fold toward its mate operating mechanism having connection with one of the doors to swing the same, a rod extending above said doors having connection with the otherdoor to swing said door with the swinging of the first door, a guide pivoted to the swinging section of each door slidably mounted upon said rod.

8. In door construction, a folding door comprising two sections hinged together, one of said sections being hinged to a support, operating mechanism comprising a longitudinally movable rod extending above the door and having a connection with the section thereof that is hinged to the support to swing the-door upon movement of said rod, said other section of the door provided with a guide slidably mounted upon said rod to travel thereover in the swinging of the door, a locking device adapted to automatically lock the door, when closed against opening movement except as imparted thereto by the operating mechanism, adapted upon initial movement of said operating mechanism to release the door.

9. In door operating mechanism, a pair of folding doors, each having a swinging section adapted to fold toward its mate, operating mechanism having with one of the doors to swing the same, a rod extending above said doors having connection with the other door to swing said door with the swinging of the first door, a guide pivoted to the swinging section of each door slidably mounted upon said rodto travel thereover in the opening-of the doors, and locking mechanism comprising a second rod extending above said doors connected with the operating mechanism to be actuated thereby, means automatically operative to lock said second rod when the doors are in the closed position, said second rod adapted to be releasably actuated upon initial movement of the operating mechanism.

10. In door operating mechanism, a door comprising two sections hinged together and hinged to a door frame to fold toward the frame, operating mechanism comprising a rod extending parallel with the door at one end thereof connected with one of said sections to swing the door upon longitudinal movement of the rod, said other section pro vided with a guide slidably mounted upon said rod to travel thereover as the door is swung, a second rod extending above the door and connected with the operating mechanism to be actuated thereby, means connection arranged to automaticallylock said second rod against movement when the door is closed, sald second rod so operativelyconnected with the operating mechanism as to be releasably actuated thereby.

11. Indoor construction, a pair of folding doors each comprising an lnner section hlnged to a support and an outer section longitudinal movement of the rod, operating mechanism'connected with the rod to actuate the same, a second longitudinally movablevrod positioned above said doors and connected with said operating mechanism to be actuated thereby upon initial movement thereof preceding actuation of the first mentioned rod means adapted to automatically engage said second rod to lock the same against movement when the doors are closed releasable upon actuation of the operating mechanism to move the rod. v

12. In door operating mechanism, a pair of folding doors each having an outer section supported to foldtoward its mate, locking devices to releasably secure said doors against movement operating mechanism having connection with one door to swing the same and having a rod extending to the other door to simultaneouslyswing said second door, guides on the outer folding sections of said doors slidably mounted upon said rod, a depress'ible floor underneath the doors, said floor having connection with the lockingmochanism to actuate the same during its initial period of. depressible movement to'release thedoors to swinging move ment and having connection with the door operating mechanism .toactuate the mechanism and swing the doors.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification. v

- ARTHUR E. THOMAS. 

